dBASE-From the Dot Prompt

Warren M. Littlefield is Associate Professor of Computer Information Science at Sullivan County Community College.

"I like the way the author begins at a low level with one example and continually develops the same example in increasing complexity. Littlefield presents the material so that it is easily understandable to beginners and also interesting to experienced users." -- Larry Fudella, Erie Community College

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction 1. Creating Your First Database1.1 Preparing Your Diskette1.2 Getting Into dBASE41.3 Creating a Database1.4 Appending Records to a Database1.5 Editing the Database1.6 Browsing the Database1.7 Appending to Your Database White in EDIT1.8 Listing Your Database1.9 Quitting from dBASE41.10 Example II: A Checkbook/Budget Account1.11 Summary1.12 Review1.13 Laboratory Work1.14 Exercise2. Editing Your Database2.1 Modifying your Database2.2 Deleting Fields from the Database Structure2.3 DISPLAYing your Database One Page at a Time2.4 Deleting Records from your Database2.5 Inserting a Record into a Database2.6 Useful Features of the BROWSE Mode2.6.1 Appending new data in BROWSE2.6.2 Entering Data into a Database by Field2.6.3 Browse Menu Options2.7 Example II: Expanding the ACCOUNTS database2.7.1 Navigating Around the Database in BROWSE Mode2.8 Summary2.9 Review2.10 Laboratory Work2.11 Exercises3. Ordering a Database3.1 Sorting a Database3.2 Erasing a Database3.3 Indexing a Database3.3.1 Creating Individual (.NDX) Indexes3.3.2 Indexing on Two Character Fields3.4 Use of a Multiple or Production (.MDX) Index3.4.1 Making a Multiple Index on LASTNAME + FIRSTNAME3.4.2 Indexing on a Date Field and Character Field3.4.3 Indexing on Numeric and Character Fields3.4.4 Indexing on a Logical Field3.4.5 Indexing in Descending Order3.5 Selecting the Master Index in a Production (.MDX) Index3.5.1 Selecting Individual (.NDX) Indexes3.6 Deleting Indexes3.7 Example II: Use of INDEXing Options in ACCOUNTS Database3.7.1 Use of the UNIQUE Option3.7.2 Use of the FOR Option3.8 Summary3.9 Review3.10 Laboratory Work3.11 Exercises4. Columnar Reports4.1 The Report Form Generator4.1.1 Creating a Columnar Report4.1.2 Modifying Report Forms4.2 Example II: Quick Layout for ACCOUNTS Database4.2.1 Using Group Bands with Subtotals4.2.2 Printing a Group Report4.3 Example II: Use of the Calculated Field in a Report Form4.3.1 Use of a Running Sum of a Field in the Detail Line4.4 Summary4.5 Review4.6 Laboratory Work4.7 Exercises5. Conditional Reports & Searches5.1 Selecting Records in a Database5.2 Conditional Reports5.2.1 The HEADING Clause5.2.2 Relational Operators5.2.3 Use of the SET FILTER Command5.2.4 Conditional Report Using a Date Funtion5.2.5 Conditional Report Using the Substring Relational Operator5.2.6 Use of the Logical Function LIKE(,) in a Filter5.3 Calculations5.3.1 The COUNT Command5.3.2 Logical Operators5.3.3 The SUM Command5.3.4 Arithmetic Operators5.3.5 The AVERAGE Command5.3.6 Use of the CALCULATE Command5.4 Searches5.4.1 Searching Using the LOCATE Instructions5.4.2 Searching Using the FIND and SEEK Commands5.4.3 LOCATE Search versus INDEX Search5.5 Summary5.6 Review5.7 Laboratory Work5.8 Exercises6. Labels, Mailmerge Reports and Forms6.1 Label Form Generator6.1.1 Creating a Label Form6.1.2 Printing Sample Reports6.2 Mailmerge Report Form6.2.1 Importing a Text File Letter into the Mailmerge Layout6.3 The Screen Generator6.3.1 The Format File6.4 Summary6.5 Review6.6 Laboratory Work6.7 Exercises7. Command Files & Memory Variables7.1 Introduction to Command Files7.1.1 Creating an "Add Records" Command File7.1.2 Use of the WAIT Command in the COMPPACK Command File7.2 Memory Variables7.2.1 Use of System Memory Variables7.2.2 Design of the Print Report Command File: COMPREPO.PRG7.2.3 Design of the Label and Mailmerge Command Files7.3 Design of a Search/Edit Command File7.3.1 The @ and SAY Display Intructions7.3.2 The GET and READ Instructions7.3.3 The Design of COMPEDIT.PRG7.4 Design of a Menu Driving Command File7.5 Summary7.6 Review7.7 Laboratory Work7.8 Exercises7.9 Term Project8. Selection8.1 Structured Programming8.2 Flow Charts8.3 Binary Selection8.4 Example of Binary Selection, COM_EDIT.prg8.5 Multiple Selection - The DO CASE Structure8.6 Alternative Data Entry Commands8.6.1 The INPUT Command8.6.2 The ACCEPT Command8.6.3 The WAIT Command Revisited8.7 Saving, Restoring and Releasing Memory Variables8.8 The REPLACE Command8.8.1 Example Using the REPLACE Command for Block Replacements8.8.2 The REPLACE ALL Command8.9 Program Example Using ACCEPT, INPUT, WAIT and REPLACE8.10 Summary8.11 Review8.12 Laboratory Work8.13 Exercises8.14 Term Project9. Iteration9.1 Introduction to The Loop9.1.1 The DO WHILE Command9.1.2 Example if Use of DO WHILE Loop9.2 Design of a Delay Loop9.3 Use of DO WHILE Loop with EOF() Function9.4 The Deletion Program - COM_DELE.prg9.5 Design of a Fast Indexed Search Program9.5.1 The LOCATE WHILE Instruction9.5.2 Use of the FOUND() Function9.5.3 An Example of Indexed Search - COM_EVAL.prg9.6 Use of the SCAN-ENDSCAN Instruction9.6.1 The Design of a Range Search Program9.6.2 Example: The Design of COM_GRAD.prg9.6.3 Use of the SCAN-ENDSCAN Loop for a LOCATE Search9.6.4 Use of the SCAN FOR ... Loop9.7 Remarks on the use of the WHILE Clause9.8 Summary9.9 Review9.10 Laboratory Work9.11 Exercises9.12 Term Project10. System Organization10.1 Bottom Up Systems Design10.2 The Systems Structure Chart10.3 Menu Driver Program with Pop-Up Windows10.3.1 Design of Menu Sub-Modules10.4 Use of Windows in Sub-Menus10.5 Program Structure Chart10.6 Use of Procedures in dBASE10.6.1 Appending Programs Together to Form COM_PROC.prg10.6.2 Design of a Prodecure Driver Program10.7 Comments About Compiled Code in dBASE IV10.8 Summary10.9 Review10.10 Laboratory Work10.11 Exercises10.12 Term Project11. Controlling Your Environment11.1 The SET Command11.1.1 The SET Mode11.1.2 The SET FUNCTION TO Command11.1.3 Setting a Color Display11.2 The CONFIG.DB File11.2.1 DBSETUP Routine11.3 Password Protection11.4 Backing Up Your System11.4.1 Backing Up a Floppy Diskette11.4.2 Backing Up Between Different Types of Media11.5 Running DOS Commands While in dBASE11.5.1 Macros11.6 Modifications of COMPCLAS System11.7 Summary11.8 Review11.9 Laboratory Work11.10 Exercises11.11 Term Project12. Debugging & Documentation12.1 Debugging12.1.1 Using the Debugger12.1.2 Use of SET TRAP Command to Locate Errors12.1.3 Obtaining a Printed Trace of Your Program Execution12.1.4 Use Modular Programming to Minimize Errors12.2 Creating Help and Reference Screens12.2.1 Creating Help Screems12.2.2 Creating Reference/Help Screens12.3 Documentation12.3.1 Brief Narrative of System Function12.3.2 User Instruction Guide12.3.3 Sample Reports12.3.4 Program Structure Diagram12.3.5 System Structure Chart Diagram12.3.6 Database Contents List12.3.7 List of all Indexes & their Keys12.3.8 Fully Documented Program Listings12.3.9 Optional Documentation12.4 Summary12.5 Review12.6 Laboratory Work12.7 Exercises12.8 Term Project13. Accounts System - Multiple Files13.1 Top Down Systems Design13.1.1 The Budget Database13.1.2 System Structure Chart for ACCOUNTS System13.1.3 The Database ACCOUNTS.DBF13.2 Use of Saved Memory Variables to Select Multiple Databases13.3 Use of Stubs in Top Down Implementation13.4 Design of the Update Accounts Sub-Modules13.4.1 Design of BROWSIT.prg13.4.2 Design of CATHELP.prg - Use of Multiple Databases13.4.3 Design of REBALANC.prg13.4.4 Design of RECONCIL.prg13.5 Powerful Commands - The Design of SPREADIT.prg13.5.1 Use of the TOTAL Command13.5.2 Use of the SET RELATION TO Command13.5.3 Design of BROWBUDG.prg13.6 Design of the SETUP Module13.6.1 The Use of a "Do Until" Loop13.6.2 The Design of CHANGEYR.prg13.7 Use of FUNCTION and PICTURE in Design of SEARCAT.prg13.8 The Budget Report13.9 Summary13.10 Review13.11 Laboratory Work13.12 Exercises13.13 Term Project14. Functions, Arrays & Queries14.1 User Defined Functions14.1.1 Elements of User-Defined Functions14.1.2 Function Example: CDATE()14.2 Use of Arrays on dBASE14.3 PUBLIC & PRIVATE Memory Variables14.4 Inserting Memory Variables Into a Customized Screen Form14.5 Design of the Re-Calculation Function: RETOTAL()14.5.1 Attaching a Function to a Screen Entry14.5.2 The Program BUDGEDIT.prg14.6 Query Generator14.6.1 Creating a QUERY of Two Databases Linked Together on a Single Common Key14.6.2 Creating a QUERY of Multiple Databases Using Multiple Keys14.6.3 Creating a Composite Database14.7 Use of the JOIN Command14.8 Usse of the UPDATE Command14.8.1 Design of an Updating Program for the COMPCLAS System14.9 Summary14.10 Review14.11 Laboratory Work14.12 Exercises14.13 Term ProjectAppendix A: Setting Up the Proper Pathways and DirectoriesA.1 Accessing an Already Installed Copy of dBASE IV on Your Hard DriveA.2 Creating an AUTOEXEC.BAT file that Established the Proper PathwayA.3 Creating a CONFIG.SYS file that Establishes the Proper System ConfigA.4 Creating the Proper DirectoriesAppendix B: Free Form ReportsB.1 The Free Form ReportAppendix C: Query By ExampleC.1 Creation of Simple QueriesC.2 Queries With More than One Condition in an AND RelationshipC.3 Queries With More Than One Condition in an OR RelationshipC.3.1 Queries with Inclusive OR Conditions Existing in the Same FieldC.3.2 Queries With Inclusive OR Conditions Existing in Different FieldsIndex